By: Sarah Geringer
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23-24 NIV
Romans 3:23-24 NIV
Years ago, I started listening to Dave Ramsey's radio show. When a caller would ask him how he was doing, this was his standard response:
Better than I deserve.
I knew from reading Dave's books that he had gone bankrupt. He struggled a long time before achieving success again. Dave's failures made him humble and grateful that God restored his fortunes. Now he always gives God the credit for his success.
As a person with a natural melancholy bent, I find Dave's response to be inspiring. Normally when someone asks me how I'm doing, I simply reply, "Fine." If I'm feeling honest, I'll say something like, "I'm doing o-kay." But I don't usually give such an upbeat response.
However, I want to choose a positive outlook on life. With a positive outlook, I can shine more light into this negative world.
Lately, I've been reflecting on my past sins and how God has delivered me from them. Truth be told, if it wasn't for God's grace, I would be on a pretty sad path right now, full of self-pity and hopelessness.
These verses can help us realize we are all better than we deserve:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23-24 NIV
When we look at the cold, hard truth, we are all sinners who deserve nothing but punishment for our sins. Yet because Jesus was willing to die as a sacrifice, we can be set free.
We are all better than we deserve, thanks to God!
If you are struggling to have a positive outlook today, I hope you will use Romans 3:23-24 in these ways:
1. Meditate on these verses. Let them sink in.
2. Allow them to transform your thinking and provide a foundation of truth.
3. Ask God to remind you of these verses throughout the day, so you can rise above your hurts and struggles with stronger faith.
4. Use them to praise God in prayer or song.
With God's Word as our foundation, we can choose a positive outlook instead of a negative one. We always have reason to thank God for giving us better than we deserve, which can turn our perspective around.
Here's a prayer to encourage you today:
Heavenly Father,
I praise you for the priceless gift of your grace.
I confess that I have wronged you many times, and I deserve your punishment.
Thank you for giving me far more than I deserve.
Fix my eyes on the wonderful gifts you have given me.
Your grace is beautiful to me!
I choose to have a more positive outlook,
based on the truth of your Word.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
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Have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings and God's peace to you,
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